Alum Class Notes

As of May 2011:

1960s

Gerald C. Hammon (MDiv 1962) The last fourteen years were spent working with Native American Tribes in the southwestern United States in housing and Community Development Block Grant programs. Gerald has been retired since 1994, and has spent his time along with his wife of 50 years as a consultant, free-lance writer and volunteer at state parks and national facilities. The two currently live in Dewey, Arizona near Prescott, but expect to move back to southern Arizona in the Benson-St. David area where they previously lived in the late 1990's.

Nicholas F. Benton (MDiv 1969) wrote an article titled “The UCC Does It Again” which was published in the Falls Church News-Press on July 6, 2011. You can read the article here: http://tinyurl.com/bentonarticle

1970s

Dale Hempen (MDiv 1970) will retire as Associate Conference Minister of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ at the end of 2011. Dale served in ministry for over 40 years, serving the Massachusetts Conference for the last 13 years.

Christopher Lowson (STM 1976) was appointed to the position of Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. His consecration took place on September 21 at Westminster Abbey in London and his enthronement was held on November 12 at Lincoln Cathedral. Bishop Lowson began serving the Church of England as a Deacon in 1977 and most recently held the position of Director of Ministry. In this role he led a team responsible for developing policy and delivering support to those in lay and ordained ministry throughout the Church of England.

Ronald Nuss-Warren (MDiv 1977) is serving as the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Bridgeport, Nebraska.

Kari A. Owen (PhD 1978) founded and is serving as Executive Director of Wildhorse! which is a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding for disabled persons.

1980s

Diana Green (MDiv 1988) is the Interim Choir Director at United Christian Parish in Lakeport, CA.

Ingrun Masanek (CSS 1989) is currently living in Norden Germany with her husband and two teenage boys. Since graduating from PSR, Ingrun moved to Philadelphia where she earned an MSW at Temple University in 1993. Ingrun now has post-graduate degrees in family counseling and in singing therapy. She has worked in several social work agencies and has her own counseling practice since 2008.

Eric Dale (MDiv 1980) is serving as the Interim Pastor at Faith Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Elko, Nevada.

1990s

Lea Brown (MDiv 1990) was named by South Florida Gay News as one of “Six Women Who Make a Difference”. She is currently serving as Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Junius Dotson (MDiv 1993) received an appointment from the Governor of Kansas to the Kansas Sentencing Commission.

Bob Woods (MDiv 1998) was installed on May 14, 2011 as the new Pastor of First Congregational Church of San Rafael United Church of Christ.

2000s

Kelly Love (MDiv 2000) is serving as the Pastor for Davis United Methodist Church in Davis, CA.

Jennifer Walters (MDiv 2002) is the new Pastor of University Place United Church of Christ in University Place, WA (near Tacoma).

Jeffrey Dirrim (MDiv 2003) is Pastor at a new church start in Phoenix, Arizona call Footsteps United Church of Christ. Footsteps UCC held their first worship service in September 2011.

Curtis Preston (MDiv 2003) co-authored the book The Unofficial Handbook of the UCC which was published by Pilgrim Press in June 2011.

Faatauvaa Alaelua (MABL 2004) is the current Pastor of the Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa, Pago Pago Village. He is also a part time Old Testament and New Testament lecturer at the Kanana Fou Theological Seminary.

Zander Keig (MST, 2004) along with Megan Rohrer (MDiv 2005), is a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Megan and Zander are the co-editors of Letters for my Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect. Winners will be announced on June 4, 2012.

Micah Selu (Micah Shepherd) (MDiv/MABL 2004) contributed an essay titled “I Left” to the book Touched by Grace: LGBT Stories in Community of Christ published by John Whitmer Books and GALA, 2012.

Megan Rohrer (MDiv 2005) along with Zander Keig (MST, 2004), is a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Megan and Zander are the co-editors of Letters for my Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect. Winners will be announced on June 4, 2012.

Craig Breismeister (MDiv 2008) is the new minister of First Congregational Church of Walpole, New Hampshire.

Alice Cabotaje (MDiv 2008) is a Chaplain Supervisor at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco.

Robyn Morrison (MDiv 2008) was hired as the Executive Director of the The Friendship Center in Helena, MT.

Kevin Omi (MDiv 2009) was called to serve as Co-Pastor of Sycamore Congregational Church in El Cerrito, CA. The position is effective January 1, 2012. Within the next two years, Pastor Sharon will retire and Kevin will continue as Sycamore's full time Senior Pastor. As a result of this call, Kevin was ordained on November 27, 2011 at First Congregational Church of Berkeley.

2010s

Jeff Crews (MDiv 2010) was ordained on July 17, 2011 after receiving a call as Senior Pastor of Spring Glen Church UCC in Hamden, CT. Jeff began serving Spring Glen in September 2011.

Sally Godard (MDiv 2010) has been called by the Forest Grove and Salem United Church of Christ congregations to be an ordained minister of justice, witness, and advocacy in Yamhill County, Oregon. The ecumenical ministry, called JUST JOURNEY, will work to bring together faith communities as well as secular individuals and organizations to raise the voice of those who voice often goes unheard (creation, immigrants, the poor, the incarcerated...) so that unjust systems can be changed. As a result of this call, Sally was ordained September 18, 2011 in McMinnville, Oregon.

Meighan Pritchard (MDiv 2010) was approved for ordination pending call in July 2011. Over the summer Meighan served as the sabbatical supply minister for one of the associate ministers at University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle, WA.

Eric Atcheson (MDiv 2011) was called to serve as the pastor of First Christian Church in Longview, Washington and began his ministry there in September 2011.

Andrea Cano (MDiv 2011) was elected chair of the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs. Andrea has served on the commission since 2010 via an appointment by the governor. Andrea continues to serve as the chair of OC Inc, the UCC's historic media ministry (www.uccmediajustice.org), and on Central Pacific Conference Local Church Ministries.

Andrew Hybl (MDiv 2011) was ordained to the ministry on March 24, 2012 at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock, AR.

Paige Rawson (MDiv 2011) is now pursuing a PhD at Drew University.

Kent Forbes (MTS 2012) is working with Sexual Minorities Uganda, assisting in the legal efforts against Scott Lively.